The Path of the Witch: Rituals & Practices for Discovering Which Witch You Are

When first diving into witchcraft, it can be difficult to choose a specific path (or flavor, if you will). The abundance of beginner's books out there can unfortunately make this quest even more confusing. Many of us gravitate toward certain elements, but it can be overwhelming to decide where we fit in best, and to discover which elements really speak to our personalities -- especially when we're absorbing SO much new information at the start of our journey. This book can definitely take a lot of the guesswork out of the process, as it is designed (as the title says) to help you focus on which type of witch you are. :)

There's a brief (one page) introduction where the author tells her story and why she felt drawn to writing this book. Quite simply, she just really wants to help other witches find their way. After this, the first chapter (Shared Magick for All Paths) delves into what all magical paths have in common -- first, a connection to the elements, and to the shared human history of seeking connection with universal truth. Other shared traits include your connection to your own spiritual energy, and the use of common tools and techniques to help establish these connections. She specifies between representations (statues of deities and other symbols which represent specific spirits and entities) and tools (athame, boline, book of shadows, candles, cauldron, chalice, crystals, herbs, jars, and a wand). She stresses that it is *not* necessary to have all of these items, as your biggest source of magic will always be yourself. Also included in this first chapter are common magic techniques, with an emphasis placed on cleansing (yourself, your tools, and your chosen ritual space), as well as listing common methods for doing so (with smoke, water, salt, fire, etc.). From there mention is made of blessing and charging, and preparing your tools for magic. After this, we go straight to the Witch Specific chapters. :)

I've included photos of the first page of each Witch chapter, to highlight the beautiful illustrations and give a taste of the tone for each. There is SO much more, though -- each chapter includes specific seasons, exercises, sacred spaces (such as a garden for the Green Witch), as well as charts filled with the appropriate correspondences (trees, herbs and spices, flowers, crystals, and oils), various crafts to make, recipes for incenses and herbal baths (and teas), plus suggested rituals and guided meditations. There is an incredible amount of information here.

For example, because the Kitchen Witch is food-centric, there are lists of foods that are either Yin or Yang, and several fun recipes (including sourdough bread and a salad of edible flowers!) For the Wiccan Witch chapter, the basic beliefs of Wicca are reproduced here, such as the Wiccan Rede and Rule of Three, as well as a brief intro to the Triple Goddess and the Horned God. There's also a basic chart for the Wheel of the Year as well as several pages elaborating upon the sabbats. I really like the Cosmic Witch section, which explained how to interpret your birth chart (and so much more!)

I could go on and on! Each chapter is amazingly detailed and fun to read. Even if you already know which type of Witch you are, this is still an invaluable resource. I seriously cannot believe how much useful information is packed into this relatively small book (it's only 176 pages!) Seriously, pick this one up. You won't regret it. :)

I bought this book to learn more about witchcraft because I always found it interesting and this book was perfect for me. I found it very informative and liked the easy to follow charts. I really learned a lot and enjoyed reading it; I couldn't put it down! I felt like the author was supportive throughout the chapters and always had friendly reminders about safety and encouraged the reader to find the path best for them. Over all, I feel like I have a much better understanding on witchcraft as a whole. I also really loved the illustrations they're well done and beautiful. Would highly recommend this for beginners like myself. Blessed be!

"The Path of the Witch: Rituals & Practices for Discovering Which Witch You Are" by Lidia Pradas is a helpful and interesting read. It might be one of the first books on witchcraft that explains the different paths that I've read and I've read quite a bit of late. That said, most of my reading is either broad on ritual or specific on path. The author keeps the information easy to follow and understand. It covers a nice range which makes sense given the title but she delivers and makes it interesting. I found the read helpful and interesting.

With so many younger people feeling a pull to natural spiritualities, books like this are a very needed commodity. This book is well researched, well written and a great introduction to the different aspects you may find yourself drawn too in witchcraft. It is a shorter book but absolutely PACKED full of great information. Not filled with fluff or a bunch of personal anecdotes like a lot of books, this book makes sure you know as much as possible. It is also beautiful illustrations.

It is Wiccan based and not everyone will be drawn to that path but that doesn't stop this from being a great resource. It is still a VERY good book for anyone who knows they want SOMETHING other than organized religions but aren't sure what the something is. This book start with a brief introduction with the authors story and her why for writing this book. The chapters are broken down into easy to comprehend subjects. The first talks about the commonality of what all magical paths have in common, so if you prefer a different pagan path, you can implement this information about tools, techniques and preparing yourself to do magick. Then each following chapter describes a different "type" of Witch. The information in each chapter will be very handy to know WHY you may feel more comfortable doing magick with food vs sitting in a field in the middle of the forest. Each chapter goes into detail with ritual, correspondences, herbs, seasons, meditation, spells, etc.. so you can try them all out and see what resonates and what doesn't.

As a Crone who has been practicing for 40+ yrs, I feel it is a great, well rounded resource book that would be a great addition to any pagan library. I will be getting a copy for my daughter who has recently felt the call to the Path. Get a copy for yourself or a friend who isn't sure where to start.

Nice overview of the craft, though it's really more craft light than serious Wicca. Still, if you believe that you create your own traditions as you work, this might help you create your roadmap. Nice book.

This was absolutely perfect for me, someone who has just started exploring. There is a lot of information, presented in a fun and interesting way. I always thought I identified with the green witches most of all, but there were so many more types that I hadn't considered. I really enjoyed learning about each one.

Loved the beautiful illustrations too. So glad to have this added to my reference collection.

I have been a practicing witch for many years, but this book had things in there that I didn't know. Easy to follow, with explanations for new and experienced practitioners alike, this book takes you through deciding what path might be good for you, OR if you know your path, shows you other options. The artwork is beautiful, but more importantly, there is a huge emphasis on finding what works for you. I love the way the author connected and let readers know that if something feels right for them it doesn't matter what others say. I think my favorite part was the disclaimer in the rituals and tools that you don't have to go out and buy fancy stuff! That is NOT what the craft is about. Reading something that I have been advocating for years is fabulous. This is the first book I have read by this author but it won't be the last.

If you or someone you love is curious about the witch's craft but don't know where to begin, Lidia Pradas' "The Path of the Witch: Rituals & Practices for Discovering Which Witch You Are" is a fairly decent place to start. Whether you think you might be a Green Witch, Kitchen Witch, Elemental Witch, Cosmic Witch, Sea Witch, Wiccan Witch or an Eclectic Witch, this book can help you find out.

This book is profusely illustrated. It gives you good advice on meditation, energy work and working with intention. I particularly liked the astrology bits because the finer points of that part of the subject always seemed to confuse me. There are recipes and advice that are meant to give the beginner just enough hands-on experience working magic without a whole lot of mystic woo-woo. Pradas empowers the reader to dig in and to explore on their own and that is a big plus as far as I am concerned. Witchcraft is not a spectator sport. The only way to get good at it is to get your hands in and do.

For as big as the book is, however, I thought that the cover price was just a bit high. However, the info is good, the formatting and the presentation is very attractive. If you've got a young witch in your midst, this would be a great first book to get them started with.

Love this! Delivered super fast. The illustrations are amazing. The descriptions of the different paths is the perfect amount of information without being too much. Makes you want to know more! Got one for me and my sister. Even got the grimoire after we read this!

So many books on the craft tend to go too far down a path and leave you wondering what you just read. However this one is so well written and designed that you can read sections at different times and in different orders and still follow the content. DEFINITELY a great book for anyone new to the craft or wondering which path is right for them.